A press release from the COPT-R contractor on completion of the first phase of the program, 6 SNA classes:
On behalf of all our staff members at Helicopter Institute, we would like to introduce the first six (6) graduating classes of the US Navy Contractor Operated Pilot Training- Rotary (COPT-R) program conducted in Fort Worth, Texas. COPT-R comprised of 48 Student Naval Aviators (SNA) that volunteered for an operational, test and evaluation program utilizing a non-military training pathway over a period on 10-weeks. Each SNA received a minimum of 50 hours of flight training during this period. All told, since program execution on October 2nd, 2023, COPT-R flew in excess of 2500 flight hours which included 2400 students hours, and the remaining split between train-the-trainer and maintenance hours,., all on time and on budget! All training concluded last Friday, March 29th, 2024.
A big thank you to the students and their leadership for the confidence, and our staff for an mazing program getting us all across the finish line safely!
The next group is expected to begin training in May 2024.